Roland on racing Harley XR1200s: ‘I’m f***** scared man!’

MCN caught up with custom builder Roland Sands as he prepares to race a Harley-Davidson XR1200 at Brands Hatch this weekend – the Californian tested the Shaw Racing machine at Mallory, and will practice at Brands today.

“The bike’s good, it turns well, brakes well and it’s real flickable. It weaves a bit, but I’ve had an inch of width cut off the bars so every movement doesn’t feel so big.

"It’s great to ride, it’s hard to believe Harley built it – but I’m fuckin’ scared man! I don’t want to crash it, or have someone crash around me – they’re still heavy bikes!”

Sands circulated Mallory consistently in the 58 second bracket after only two dry sessions – a respectable time, proving he’s not lost it since he last rode in AMA 250GP in 2002.